Pomerleau reaches milestone at 32nd annual party

Sunday marked the 32nd time Tony Pomerleau, 95, has thrown a holiday bash for Vermont families. This year was extra special as Pomerleau said he had fed 25,000 children and parents since the annual event began.

Pomerleau has hosted the Clauses, Vermont leaders and hundreds of families each December for more than three decades.

Sunday, 480 families packed into the Burlington Hilton. They were greeted by nearly 80 volunteers supported by Burlington’s Parks and Recreation Department and IBM.

“We’ve been coming to the Pomerleau party for seven years now,” said Amanda Garrison. “It's something our family does together every year.”

Garrison is from St. George, Vt.

“Being low income makes it hard,” she said. “Coming to the Pomerleau party is awesome.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the event started as a way to make sure everyone had a happy holiday season.

“We want to make sure that all the families in Burlington, no matter how much money they have, are able to come together to have a great Christmas, especially for the children,” Sanders said. “That was 32 years ago, and Tony and his family have been doing it ever since.”

Guests thanked Pomerleau for his years of service and said the party is about catching up and being together.

“It’s like having a big family that gets along for the holidays,” Garrison said. “It's just good to get out and see your friends that you haven't seen in forever.”

Pomerleau also hosts holiday parties for families in the Northeast Kingdom. This year, he also hosted an event for military families.

Pomerleau was named "Person of the Year" by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce in November.

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